


Tall Tale

by CloversDreams



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Bonding, Fluff, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Realization of Feelings, Ryusui is ridiculous, Tsukasa is a good big brother, a bit late but what are you gonna do, and hes quite the storyteller, but hes also a good guy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-11
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23109343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloversDreams/pseuds/CloversDreams
Summary: When Ryusui started going on about the economy in his sand-world and how he was absolutely the richest and most popular man there, Tsukasa “accidentally” knocked his castle over. He simply smiled when Mirai scolded him afterwards.Ryusui let out a defeated sigh and flopped onto his back. He lifted a sand-covered arm into the air and groaned dramatically. “It’s too much effort to rebuild. My sand-civilization is forever doomed. The wrath of the great Hurricane Tsukasa was too much.” He snickered when Mirai offered to help him build a new castle. A sudden thought occurred to Ryusui and he sat up abruptly, which caused sand to fling in all directions. He grinned then tilted his head and asked, “Mirai-chan, do you happen to like stories about mermaid princesses?”Mirai gasped then clenched her hands into fists and held them against her chest. She nodded quickly and exclaimed, “They’re my favorite!”“You don’t say?” Ryusui asked. He met Tsukasa’s disapproving gaze and winked.
Relationships: Nanami Ryuusui/Shishiou Tsukasa
Comments: 14
Kudos: 81





	Tall Tale

“Hey, Tsukasa!” Ryusui called as he trotted over to him. He put his hands on his hips and smiled from ear to ear as he declared, “It's a lovely day, we should go for a stroll on the beach! I know a great spot that’s quite private!”

Ugh, _this_ guy. Tsukasa wondered for a moment if maybe he'd go away if he didn’t acknowledge him. Could he just ignore the problem and have it cease to be? Probably not. The blond was annoyingly persistent. For some reason Ryusui had been trying to ‘get to know him better' practically since the day he was unpetrified after being frozen. It was bothersome. Tsukasa could smell the capitalism wafting from him. He wasn’t interested in being friends with this man. He didn’t want anything to do with him. No matter how clear he thought he was being on the matter, the stupid guy never gave up. What a nuisance.

Before Tsukasa had a chance to say no, Mirai poked her head out from the other side of him. She blinked curiously at the grinning blond then smiled. She looked from Ryusui to Tsukasa and chirped, “I wanna go! Can we, big brother?”

Tsukasa instinctively opened his mouth to say no. However, when his gaze landed upon that sweet smile of anticipation that Mirai wore, his resolve crumbled. He’d gone so many years without such a precious sight. Now that he had it in his life again, he couldn’t refuse her a thing. He pat her head and nodded. Mirai lit up and her angelic smile widened. Tsukasa glanced at Ryusui and grumbled, “Lead the way.”

“Wonderful!” Ryusui turned and started to march in the direction of the beach. All the while he boasted about how he’d claimed this secret spot as his own so they were lucky to see it.

Tsukasa did his best to ignore the guy. He was simply happy to watch how Mirai skipped merrily as they followed him. He could deal with a nuisance like the blond for a little while if it was for her sake.

It was windy at the shore. As soon as they stepped onto the sand a breeze blew and tousled their hair. It was strong enough that Ryusui put his hand atop his head to keep his hat from flying away. Of course the weirdo laughed about that for some unknown reason. Tsukasa really didn’t understand him. He frowned to himself when the blond bent down so he was at his sister’s eye-level.

“Mirai-chan, did you know that I can predict the weather?” Ryusui asked with a cocky smile.

“Really? Are you a magician?” Mirai asked, completely in awe of the idea.

“Something like that,” Ryusui laughed. He stood tall again and put his hands on his hips as he declared, “It’s going to storm this evening. We’ll have to make sure we stay inside so we don’t get caught in it.”

“Wow! Amazing!” Mirai exclaimed. She turned towards Tsukasa and asked, “Did you hear that, big brother? Isn’t he cool?”

Tsukasa glanced at the dark clouds approaching from the sea. Then he took note of the scent of rain upon the breeze. Finally, he considered how the wind had picked up speed in the last ten or so minutes. Yeah. Some magician. Still, Mirai’s eyes shined with such unabashed glee that he could only smile and agree with her.

“Admit it, you’re falling for my charms already! Haha!” Ryusui exclaimed with an obnoxious laugh.

“Never.” The word was as flat as the expression on his face. Tsukasa wanted there to be no room for misunderstanding. He wasn’t now, nor would he _ever_ , fall for any of this guy’s ridiculous ‘charms’. Such a thing just wasn’t possible.

“I think you’re pretty great, mister captain.” Mirai chimed in with a smile.

“Aw, well I think you’re great too, princess.” Ryusui pat her head. He looked past her when something caught his attention. A moment later he was crouched down in the sand. When he stood again he showed Mirai the crab he’d caught trying to scuttle by them. He continued to grin as he held it where she could see and said, “Check out this crab! Doesn’t he look delicious?”

“Yeah!” Mirai chirped. She giggled when Ryusui yelped and dropped the crab because it pinched him.

Tsukasa rolled his eyes at the overly dramatic display. The guy was obviously lying about the pinch. He just wanted to get a reaction out of Mirai. Tsukasa’s gaze shifted to the happy way she continued to giggle as the blond pretended to be injured. Well, he supposed it wasn’t all bad if she could smile carefreely because of it.

After that silly display, Mirai suggested they build sandcastles. Ryusui agreed that it sounded like a fantastic idea. The three of them got to work constructing their masterpieces. When Ryusui started going on about the economy in his sand-world and how he was absolutely the richest and most popular man there, Tsukasa “accidentally” knocked his castle over. He simply smiled when Mirai scolded him afterwards.

Ryusui let out a defeated sigh and flopped onto his back. He lifted a sand-covered arm into the air and groaned dramatically. “It’s too much effort to rebuild. My sand-civilization is forever doomed. The wrath of the great Hurricane Tsukasa was too much.” He snickered when Mirai offered to help him build a new castle. A sudden thought occurred to Ryusui and he sat up abruptly, which caused sand to fling in all directions. He grinned then tilted his head and asked, “Mirai-chan, do you happen to like stories about mermaid princesses?”

Mirai gasped then clenched her hands into fists and held them against her chest. She nodded quickly and exclaimed, “They’re my favorite!”

“You don’t say?” Ryusui asked. He met Tsukasa’s disapproving gaze and winked. After that he looked back at Mirai and hummed, “I’ve got all sorts of tales from my time at sea, but my favorite ones are definitely from when I spent time with a mermaid princess. Would you like to hear a few?”

“Seriously, mister captain?” Mirai asked, her eyes shining with wonderment. “You met a _real_ mermaid princess?”

“I did!” Ryusui removed his hat and placed it atop her head. He put his hands in the middle of his chest dramatically and declared, “And she very nearly stole my heart along with my treasure, can you believe that? Oh, it’s such an invigorating story!”

Tsukasa simply observed as his sister became engrossed in the blond’s tall tale. It wasn’t long before he found himself interested in how it’d end as well. He had to admit that the guy knew just how to captivate his target audience. It was mildly impressive.

Once the story was over, it was time for them to leave. Though it had ended on a cliffhanger and there was clearly more to tell. Mirai was quite disappointed by that. She returned his hat then asked Ryusui if they could spend time together again so he could tell her more stories, especially the continuation of the mermaid one. He assured her that they would then made her promise to bring her big brother along next time too. She was happy enough to agree.

Tsukasa didn’t say a word. He simply met Ryusui’s gaze and watched the guy smile like an idiot. After that he lead Mirai back towards the village. He hummed softly in agreement as she talked about how much fun she’d had. He was glad to hear it. It was so strange to know that the source of her current happiness was _that_ guy. The one Tsukasa was sure he’d never get along with. He glanced back over his shoulder and saw Ryusui still standing at the shore, watching the horizon as the sun set. The blond sure was weird.

Tsukasa had been sure that Ryusui would come up with some excuse not to spend time with Mirai again. She wasn’t the one he supposedly wanted to get to know better, after all, and he did give off quite the slippery kind of vibes. A bit like a snake. That made it all the more surprising when Ryusui suggested the three of them go on a picnic two days later.

It would’ve been much easier to decline had the blond not showed up with a basket full of food and gotten Mirai super excited for the idea. Tsukasa reluctantly agreed. Yet again he found himself in the role of casual observer as the other two seemed to hit it off. Mirai couldn’t be any more excited to hear another tale about the mermaid princess. All the while Tsukasa wondered if the guy spent the last few days thinking it up or he was winging it.

This kind of thing continued over the next few weeks. Tsukasa was sure that Ryusui would tire of spending time with the two of them and move on. However, the blond never seemed to. In fact, he might’ve been even _more_ persistent. He had this inexhaustible amount of energy and for some reason he focused it on the two of them. It wasn’t all bad as long as Mirai continued to smile. Tsukasa could admit that every now and then one of the blond’s antics made him smirk too.

One day Tsukasa found himself dragged to an event by Mirai. It was a party of sorts, though he couldn’t quite figure out what for. Senku, probably. The guy had yet another scientific breakthrough, no doubt. He really was unstoppable. Mirai ran around with the other children and had a blast. Tsukasa made himself comfortable beneath the shade of a large tree. It was a good chance for him to rest since she was looked after. The moment he shut his eyes he felt something bump his shoulder.

Tsukasa turned to his left and nearly got poked in the eye by the corner of a stupid hat. He sighed and shook his head then shut his eyes and leaned back against the tree again. He should’ve known. His voice was soft as he asked, “Did you need something?”

“Can’t I sit under a tree and contemplate life?” Ryusui asked right back.

“Yeah, go ahead.” Tsukasa motioned all around them with his left hand. “Pick another tree and knock yourself out.”

“I _would_ but this tree is my property so I’m not leaving,” Ryusui declared.

Oh, here the guy went with this shit. Tsukasa opened one eye and peeked at him. “You can’t own a tree.”

“I can and _do_. This very one, in fact.” Ryusui motioned to a spot on the other side of the trunk and said, “I scratched my initials into it right over here.”

“I can snap your neck so fast you’d never even feel it,” Tsukasa replied without missing a beat.

“I don’t doubt that’s true!” Ryusui laughed. He continued to smile as he tilted his head and asked, “Wouldn’t you rather arm wrestle instead?”

“I’d break your arm,” Tsukasa replied flatly. There was something about Ryusui’s smile right now that Tsukasa found captivating. It shined like the sun, and just like that it shouldn’t be stared directly into.

Ryusui lifted his right arm and made a fist as he tightened the muscle. He put his left hand atop his bicep and declared, “I’m tougher than I look. If you win, I’ll stop pestering you so you can take that nap.”

“Is this the only way you’ll leave me alone?” Tsukasa asked. Though he had to admit he wouldn’t mind seeing just how strong the guy was. Sure, he was physically fit, but he’d never seen him really test his strength.

“Yup, I’ve got a list of interesting topics I want to talk to you about,” Ryusui insisted. He dropped his arm so he could motion broadly with both hands as he added, “I could go on for hours, so you definitely won’t be able to sleep at all.”

Tsukasa sighed then shook his head. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Ryusui clapped twice to get the closest person’s attention and demanded they bring him something sturdy they could use as a table. He continued to grin as he waited.

Tsukasa didn’t know what this guy was smiling about. He wasn’t about to go easy on him. Once their makeshift table was ready, they sat on either side of it and joined hands. There was a mischievous gleam in Ryusui’s eyes as Chrome did a countdown for them. As soon as the last number was uttered, Ryusui gasped and looked behind Tsukasa.

Not much could throw him off, but the way the blond said ‘Mirai don’t cry!’ was so heartfelt that Tsukasa immediately turned around. Then he felt his hand slammed down against the table and heard Ryusui let out a victorious yell. Once he made sure that his sister was still playing as happily as ever, Tsukasa turned back around and glared at the blond. The cocky grin on his face as he declared himself stronger than the strongest man was just begging for a punch. Tsukasa didn’t give into that urge.

He narrowed his eyes at Ryusui and calmly asked, “Tell me something, mister captain. Have you ever heard of the rear naked choke?”

“Naked, huh? Ryusui rubbed his chin as he thought about it. He wiggled his eyebrows then added, “Can’t say I have, but I like the sound of i– _ack_!”

Tsukasa lunged across their makeshift table and grabbed the blond. All his experience made it easy enough for him to get behind Ryusui and hook his right arm around his neck. He put pressure on the blond’s trachea with the crook of his elbow and placed his left hand behind Ryusui’s head. Lastly he hooked his legs around the blond’s torso so he couldn’t wriggle free. All in all, the move took less than ten seconds to achieve the desired effect. As soon as Ryusui passed out Tsukasa released him.

He stood, dusted himself off, then walked away with his chin held in the air. He could hear various shrieks as people ran to help the idiot blond. Sure, he was aware that people were still afraid of him and that certainly hadn’t helped… but he didn’t care. That guy rubbed him the wrong way too often. He was bound to snap one day. In fact, in his opinion Ryusui got off easy. He’d wake up in a few moments and probably get everyone around to believe that he’d wanted that to happen. Utterly ridiculous guy.

Tsukasa didn’t see Ryusui again for the rest of the day. Good. Maybe the blond would finally leave him alone. He’d been unable to sleep so once he was sure Mirai wasn’t going to wake, he decided to go out for a walk. The village was so peaceful when everyone was asleep. Tsukasa headed into the woods. No particular reason, he just went in a random direction. When he stepped into a clearing he certainly didn’t expect to stumble upon a familiar head of blond hair beneath a ridiculous captain’s hat. How was this guy everywhere? He turned to leave before he was noticed but stopped when the guy spoke.

“Ahoy, fellow insomniac!” Ryusui called after him.

Tsukasa sighed then walked over to where he sat upon a log. It looked sturdy enough. Tsukasa didn’t know what else he was supposed to say so he asked, “Couldn’t sleep?”

Ryusui shook his head. He had a far off look in his eyes as he replied, “Sometimes I can’t rest without the gentle rock of the sea to lull me to sleep.” He paused for a moment, clearly lost in a memory. Then he shook his head and held up a piece of parchment with scribbles on it. “I make use of the time by charting stars.”

“I see.” Tsukasa looked up at the twinkling stars above. Huh. He’d never noticed just how pretty they were above this place. He looked back down at Ryusui and saw that he’d gotten back to what he was doing. Since he was sure that was all they had to say to one another, Tsukasa turned to leave. He paused when Ryusui scooted over on the log and patted the free spot. Tsukasa looked at it suspiciously for a moment then finally asked, “You’re not upset about earlier?”

“Not at all,” Ryusui snickered. He looked up from his parchment, smiled, then added, “I’m impressed, actually. You made quick work of me while making sure I wouldn’t feel any pain. That was quite the display of your fearsome skills. I’d like to learn how to do that myself.” He pat the free space on the log once again.

Against his own better judgement, Tsukasa took him up on the offer this time and sat down. He wasn’t sure what to say. Maybe nothing was best. The blond was being unusually quiet and it was actually a bit off putting. He should probably get back to Mirai anyway.

“So why couldn’t you sleep, then?” Ryusui asked without looking at him. He stared up at the sky for a moment then doodled something on his parchment.

Tsukasa frowned as he replied, “I slept for thousands of years. I’m rested enough.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Ryusui nodded. There was silence between them after that. It was another few moments before Ryusui turned towards Tsukasa and hummed, “I can tell you a bedtime story if you’d like.”

“Not interested.” Tsukasa shook his head.

“Oh, come on,” Ryusui whined. “Mirai-chan loves my stories!”

“I’m not a little girl.” Tsukasa reached above his head with both arms and stretched lazily. He held the pose until he really felt strain in his abs before he finally released with a sigh. Then he cracked his neck side to side.

Ryusui’s eyes widened. He quickly turned his attention back to his parchment. He shook his head and muttered, “No, you definitely aren’t.”

Tsukasa didn’t say a word as the blond started to ramble about the stars. He sure did love to hear himself talk. It wasn’t so bad, he supposed. At least the guy wasn’t shouting like he usually did. That was probably because everyone else was asleep. First impressions aside, the blond was actually quite considerate of others.

By the time Ryusui finally finished talking he seemed exhausted. That was understandable as Tsukasa didn’t even know how a single person could possibly keep talking for so long. Tsukasa yawned then said, “Thanks for that, it was boring enough that I think I can sleep now.”

“That was hardly the point!” Ryusui yelped.

Tsukasa had to hold back a laugh. The blond was way too serious about certain topics. It would do this guy some good to relax. Maybe all that talking had finally worn him out. Tsukasa stood up then said, “You ought to try and sleep too.”

“Y-yeah…” Ryusui muttered as his gaze shifted to the ground. His brow knitted together and he looked back up then said, “Actually, wait.”

“What for?” Tsukasa hadn’t even taken a single step yet. He couldn’t begin to fathom what the guy wanted now.

“You prefer to fish with a spear, right?” Ryusui asked.

“Yeah.” Tsukasa didn’t understand why he was being questioned about this. It hardly seemed relevant.

“That’s ridiculously primitive.” Ryusui nodded as he thought about it. “I’m the best at using a net, but I want you to show me your method.”

“Right now?” Tsukasa had to ask. It seemed like a very strange moment to request such a thing.

Ryusui shrugged then replied, “Neither of us is particularly busy, so why not? There’s enough moonlight to see by. Plus, no one else will be around to distract from the lesson.”

“I was about to go to bed,” Tsukasa reminded him.

“Lying does not become you, Tsukasa,” Ryusui replied with a smirk. He set his parchment down, stood up, then nudged the taller man with his elbow. “Come on, it’ll only be for a few minutes. I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it right away and you’ll be incredibly impressed.”

“Your overconfidence will be your downfall,” Tsukasa huffed. Though he had to admit he was a bit intrigued to watch this guy find out that it wasn’t nearly as easy as he seemed to think it was.

“You’re not the first person to tell me that,” Ryusui laughed.

After a quick stop off at Tsukasa’s hut to get his spear, the two of them made their way to the beach. It wasn’t the same section where everyone visited, nor was it that secret spot they went to with Mirai sometimes. This part was off to the side, and generally undisturbed. The two of them stepped onto the large boulders that were submerged in the sea and walked over to the edge. It was a shallow enough spot that the spear would stick out of the water enough for them to find it even if impaled in the floor.

Tsukasa did his best to explain the technique, but Ryusui gave him a look that said he’d probably soak more in if he just showed him what he meant. So he did. A quick, powerful toss of his spear later and then he had two fish impaled on it. Ryusui applauded then declared it was his turn. He snatched the spear from him and boasted about how he’d catch three with even less effort.

Tsukasa shook his head. The guy’s stance was all wrong. Had he been paying attention at all? He stepped up behind the blond and told him to adjust his stance. Then he carefully adjusted the angle of how he held the spear. His fingers just barely rested atop the back of Ryusui’s right hand as he talked about focusing and not acting rashly. Tsukasa heard a soft grunt but didn’t pay it any mind. He focused on the water below. When the moment was right, he whispered, “Now!”

Ryusui jumped and tossed the spear haphazardly. It stuck into the seabed but missed the fish below. He turned towards Tsukasa when he heard a snort and exclaimed, “You startled me, that didn’t count!”

There was a hint of amusement in Tsukasa’s eyes when he hummed in acknowledgement. He took a step backwards to give the blond space then motioned for him to go ahead. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the guy with an embarrassed flush in his cheeks. Finding something he wasn’t instantly good at was a bit humbling for him. Tsukasa had to admit it was a good look on the guy.

A few more unsuccessful attempts left Ryusui in a huff. Each time Tsukasa offered to help him he declined. There was something to be said about his determination. Tsukasa kept his distance as was requested. He also took note of the fact that the tide had begun to come in. The waves reached the edge of the rocks they stood on now. It was probably about time for them to call it quits before things got dangerous.

Tsukasa opened his mouth to say just that at the same time as Ryusui took a step to reach for the spear below. His eyes widened when the blond lost his footing with a surprised yelp. Tsukasa instinctively reached out to grab him, but it was too late. Though he’d managed to catch his wrist, the momentum of the fall only dragged him off the rocks as well. The two of them fell into the sea with a splash.

When they resurfaced a moment later they both gasped for air. Tsukasa instinctively put his arm around the blond and pulled him close as he surveyed their surroundings for any potential predators. One never knew just what was lurking in this Stone World of theirs. The only thing he saw was a ridiculous hat trying to float away. He used his free hand to remove the spear from the seabed and catch it before it was too far out, then he looked over at his companion.

“Are you all right?” Tsukasa asked. Ryusui’s blond hair was covering his face and all that was visible was a frown. This was a perfect opportunity to call the guy out and Tsukasa couldn’t pass it up. He rolled his eyes and teased, “I thought you said that you and the ocean had a deep, meaningful relationship with one another.”

“We do. She’s not usually this pushy…” Ryusui mumbled. As if in response to his words, a sudden wave crashed over them. Ryusui simply stood there shell-shocked.

Tsukasa let go of him so he could brush his blond bangs aside with his free hand. He chuckled softly then said, “You look like a drenched cat.”

Ryusui blinked a few times as his brain processed what just happened. He finally smirked, put his hand against Tsukasa’s pec then shoved half-heartedly, and replied, “Yeah, what does that make _you_?” After that Ryusui tossed his head back and laughed. Even he wasn’t sure why exactly.

It was then, standing in the rippling reflection of the moonlight that Tsukasa noticed a few things. One, Ryusui hadn’t actually stepped away from him. They were still standing pressed up against one another. The blond was… very warm. He didn’t even feel the chill of the ocean with how much body heat they shared.

Two, Ryusui’s smile truly did rival the sun. Tsukasa always brushed it off but now there was nowhere else to look. He had no choice but to stare as the guy laughed and talked about whatever it was he was saying. Tsukasa didn’t hear a word over the sound of his own pulse pounding in his ears. When he didn’t respond, Ryusui stopped laughing and looked at him curiously.

There was something unreadable in Ryusui’s eyes. As much as the guy liked to brag about how he found everyone to be beautiful and all that nonsense, Tsukasa hadn’t ever seen him look at anyone else like this before. The way they reflected the moonlight made them sparkle like precious jewels. He watched Ryusui open his mouth to say something then close it again. After that the blond averted his gaze and frowned. The way his cheeks turned a shade of scarlet was surprisingly appealing. He wanted to continue to stare but Ryusui bowed his head so his hair fell forward to block the sight.

Tsukasa didn’t know what was wrong with himself, but he absolutely needed to get out of the cold water and lie down. He climbed back onto the rocks first then helped Ryusui up as well. After that he shoved the silly hat atop his spear at the blond. Then he mumbled something about having to get back to Mirai and walked towards the beach. He paused and looked back then asked, “You coming?”

Ryusui didn’t look at him. He simply shook his hat to get the excess water off of it then tied it to his belt and said, “You go on. I’m going to stick around.”

Part of Tsukasa wondered if he should stay. Though that would be rude if the blond just wanted to be alone with his thoughts. He wasn’t one to intrude on such things. In that case he had no choice but to leave. He continued on his way and replied, “Be careful.”

“You don’t have to pretend to care, heh.”

Tsukasa stopped abruptly in his tracks. His brow knitted together and he frowned. A splash caught his attention and he quickly turned back around. Ryusui was an incredible swimmer. Maybe the best in their village. Tsukasa watched as he headed in the direction of The Perseus, which was docked nearby. Pretend to care, huh? Tsukasa wasn’t sure such a simple phrase had ever cut him like a knife before. He frowned as he continued to head back to his hut. This evening ended up being one confusing mess and he was over it.

*  
  


A few days passed without Ryusui approaching him. Tsukasa would’ve thought he’d be grateful for the peace and quiet, but something didn’t sit right with him. It wasn’t that he missed the guy– because he definitely _didn’t_ – but perhaps that he’d simply gotten used to his presence. From his observations he could gather that Ryusui was acting the same as usual with the rest of the village. He simply didn’t go out of his way to meet with Tsukasa. He guessed he never realized how little their paths would cross if neither of them made the effort.

Mirai asked on more than one occasion if the two of them had gotten into another fight. Of course Tsukasa told her no and not to worry about it. Though he had to wonder if they indeed had. While he had a long list of skills, many involving understanding social cues remained a mystery to him. Whenever he tried to think back on that evening they’d spent together all he could see in his mind was the way Ryusui’s eyes reflected the moonlight as they looked at him. Utterly useless information.

Nearly a week went by before Mirai finally had enough. She took it upon herself to waltz right up to Ryusui and demand answers. Of course he quickly told her there was nothing to be upset about because he’d never be angry with her. He’d just been extra busy as of late. She pouted and then told him how much she’d been looking forward to hearing another one of his stories.

He crumbled almost immediately. Ryusui was not the kind of person that could tolerate a girl crying. That was how the three of them ended up at that same spot on the beach where they’d first spent time together. Mirai and Ryusui built a sandcastle together while Tsukasa sat not too far away. He hadn’t said a word to either of them since this little venture of theirs was agreed upon without his input. Not that he’d ever deny his sister anything, but yeah. His gaze lingered upon the ocean and he couldn’t help but think about that evening _again_. It was annoying.

When it was finally story time, something was definitely off. Ryusui had a smile on his face, as he always did, but it was clearly forced. He wasn’t having his usual fun with the tale. Tsukasa honestly didn’t see the point of it if he wasn’t even trying. Though Mirai seemed engrossed, so he didn’t say a word. He had to admit that this one took a turn neither of them had expected.

“After that we went our separate ways, so I had no choice but to lock my feelings away in a treasure chest and move on so I could have adventures elsewhere.” Ryusui finished his tale. Evidently it was the final one in the series.

“Is that it?” Mirai asked, her surprise palpable. She looked from her brother to Ryusui and squeaked, “Doesn’t this have a happy ending?”

“Well, the mermaid princess and I came from two very different worlds…” Ryusui replied softly. He rubbed the back of his neck and had an apologetic look upon his face as he nodded slowly.

Mirai thought about that for a moment. Her brow knitted together with her concentration. She pouted and shrugged as she asked, “Does that _matter_?”

Ryusui let out a soft huff. His gaze fell to the ground and he muttered, “It certainly did for her.”

Mirai bowed her head and sniffled. She rubbed her eyes and whimpered, “But… why can’t there be a happy ending?”

“Not all stories end that way, princess,” Ryusui sighed. He looked like he regretted it as soon as the words slipped past his lips. Mirai looked up at him and her bottom lip began to tremble.

Tsukasa rubbed her back comfortingly. He shot the blond a disapproving look. If he was going to end this terribly all along then what the heck was the point of all that build up? Honestly, it wouldn’t kill him to lighten the mood a bit. He knew Mirai adored these tales and could’ve adjusted them accordingly. He didn’t get a chance to ask.

Ryusui offered Mirai the best smile he could muster. He pat her head and said, “All right, don’t cry. For you I’ll think of a new ending. Just give me a few days, OK?”

Mirai wiped her eyes then smiled and nodded. “I want the mermaid princess to realize just how much she cares. Then there can be a happy ending.”

Tsukasa was silent as he watched the blond tell her he’d do his best then stand and take his leave. He knew that these stories weren’t based in truth from the start. There was no such thing as mermaids. That didn’t mean they weren’t somehow worked around actual events from Ryusui’s life. Going by that logic, whatever love story he’d been retelling didn’t end well for him. It might’ve even been painful to recall. Perhaps that was why he’d been avoiding telling this part. For some reason that thought didn’t sit well with Tsukasa.

As Mirai continued to work on the sandcastle from earlier, he thought about what themes and moments stood out most from what he’d heard of the tall tale. A hotheaded princess with seashells in her long dark hair. A pirate who wasn’t subtle in the slightest about his feelings yet had his advances treated as jokes. Looking for interesting seashells together. Stargazing. Swimming together in the moonlight. Then an abrupt ending.

Oh. It was _their_ story. Tsukasa had no idea why he never picked up on it before. The details were just different enough that he hadn’t noticed the plethora of similarities. He put a hand over his mouth and frowned.

This had been about the two of them all along and they’d reached the ending. It was a bad one, where the pirate captain gave up his pursuit and locked away his feelings forever. Tsukasa’s gut twisted at the thought. Of all the idiotic ways to go about confessing one’s feelings… Though that left one burning question in his mind. How did _he_ feel about Ryusui? Tsukasa couldn’t answer that outright. It was way too complicated. A flash of the way the blond smiled after they’d fallen into the sea together made his breath hitch in his throat. Maybe it wasn’t as complicated as he believed.

“Big brother?”

Tsukasa blinked when he was finally knocked out of his own thoughts. He looked down at Mirai in time to watch her yawn.

Mirai flopped against him. “I’m tired. Will you carry me home?”

“Of course.” Tsukasa scooped her up without any further delay. She cuddled up to his chest and shut her eyes.

“I think... mister captain didn’t want… to tell the end of that story… he seemed sad about it…” Mirai mumbled as she began to drift off. “I didn’t mean… to upset him…”

“Shh, don’t worry about it.” It wasn’t her problem. It was his. One he really needed to figure out before other people caught on.

Two days later Tsukasa finally came to the conclusion that he couldn’t just sit around. He needed to figure things out and that required him taking action. He looked around for Ryusui and couldn’t find him. When he asked others they didn’t seem to know either. Then someone mentioned that he said he ‘wanted to work on his charts in peace’ before he disappeared. Tsukasa knew just where to look. He headed for that specific clearing in the woods. There he found the blond, on the very same log as that night.

“Ryusui.”

“I haven’t finished the rewrite just yet, heh. But I’m working on it, promise!” Ryusui exclaimed. He looked up from his parchment and blinked at Tsukasa. He leaned back to look behind him then made a surprised sound and asked, “Where’s the little princess?”

“Not here.” Tsukasa sat down on the other side of the log. He took note of the fact that the blond scooted over a bit so that there was enough space between them and their shoulders didn’t have to touch. That was fair enough, he supposed. He looked down at the ground and sighed, “I wanted to see if you were even remotely tolerable or I was only able to put up with you because Mirai likes you.”

“If this was a date you should’ve told me beforehand,” Ryusui teased. “I would’ve worn my fancy hat.”

“You only have one hat,” Tsukasa snorted, “and it’s not a date.” As soon as he said it, he wondered if it’d be such a terrible thing if it _was_.

“I know.” Ryusui let out a defeated sigh. His gaze returned to the parchment in his lap. The humor was completely gone from his expression.

God, there it was again. That awful feeling that struck him whenever the blond frowned because of him. Tsukasa didn’t care for it. He also didn’t know what he was supposed to do about it. Everything he felt just confused him even more. Maybe he shouldn’t have bothered with any of this.

Ryusui looked up and turned his head to the right. He looked through the tree trunks at all the different reds and oranges in the sky. He was basically thinking out loud as he mumbled, “Sunsets are beautiful, aren’t they?”

Tsukasa looked past the back of his head to see the colors as well. He shrugged and said, “Sometimes.”

“They’re pretty romantic,” Ryusui said to himself. A breeze blew by them and carried the scent of the sea upon it. He shut his eyes and hummed, “Whenever I see one, I swear it’s the horizon calling out to me.”

Tsukasa couldn’t exactly relate to that, so he didn’t respond. If the guy was having a moment there was no use interrupting it. He used the silence to gather his own thoughts. There was one thing above all else that he wanted to say, so he should probably just start with that. He waited for Ryusui to turn back towards his parchment then muttered, “Thank you… for being kind to Mirai.”

“Everyone is kind to her,” Ryusui replied without looking up from what he was working on.

“True, but your goal has always been to get to me, wasn’t it? From the start you wanted me to spend time with you alone.” Tsukasa explained. It wasn’t like the blond ever tried to hide that. He’d invited him to spend time together plenty of times before that first one he actually accepted. Tsukasa nodded as he added, “Yet you never once treated her like a burden or obstacle.”

“She’s important to you so naturally that makes her important to me, too.” Ryusui replied without a second thought. His eyes widened a moment later then he shook his head and cleared his throat. He turned towards Tsukasa and shut his eyes as he smiled awkwardly. “What I mean is that she’s a great girl so of course anyone would adore her! In fact–!”

Tsukasa shut him up the only way he could think of. He surged forward, closed the distance between them, and pressed their lips together. Ryusui’s surprised squeak was muffled and it was one of the funniest things he’d ever heard. Tsukasa broke the kiss and sat back to study the expression on the blond’s face. Wide-eyed shock. That seemed about right. One heartbeat passed. Then two. Still, the blond didn’t react. Just when Tsukasa thought he might need to apologize for acting rashly, a familiar cocky smirk spread across Ryusui’s face. Oh no.

“Had I known you were gonna do _that_ I would’ve prepared some fireworks for the occasion!” Ryusui exclaimed. He dropped his parchment and clapped his hands together.

Tsukasa shook his head and sighed, “Never mind, I take it back.”

“Not possible!” Ryusui laughed.

Tsukasa waited for the inevitable, super annoying speech about how he was bound to fall for Ryusui’s charms because everyone did in the end. Man, this guy was annoying. To his surprise, the blond didn’t do that. Instead he put his hand over his eyes and smiled like an idiot. Was he actually blushing? Tsukasa couldn’t help but stare. The sight was as amazing as it was cute. Even more so when he could see it clearly because it was still light out.

Ryusui let his hand fall away from his face and asked, “What even brought this on? You made it clear that you weren’t interested in me from the start. I finally accepted that and all of a sudden…?” He motioned vaguely towards the both of them.

Tsukasa shrugged then looked over to the side and muttered, “There didn’t need to be a sad ending to the story.”

“Sto– ? Ooh.” Ryusui shook his head. “But that was just a silly tall tale I made up for entertainment purposes.”

“You’re a terrible liar,” Tsukasa replied. There was a knowing smirk on his face when he looked back at the blond. He placed his right hand upon Ryusui’s cheek then added, “and for some inexplicable reason I find that it makes me want to kiss you…”

Ryusui leaned in for a kiss and purred, “When you put it that way it makes me want to lie all the time.”

“Shut up.” Tsukasa slid his hand to the back of Ryusui’s head and pulled him closer. This time when their lips met there was no hesitation from either of them. Ryusui’s arms immediately wormed around Tsukasa’s neck and then he yanked him closer. It was his desperate attempt to deepen the kiss. They allowed themselves to completely melt into one another as their lips met in a passionate storm made of their unspoken feelings.

They were both well aware of the fact that this thing between them didn’t make any sense. Maybe it didn’t have to in this Stone World of theirs. Perhaps it was enough just to know that someone else desired their companionship. As they embraced one another they were pretty certain that the logic of it didn’t matter in the slightest. There was only here and now, only the feeling of each other. All that _did_ matter was the way that they fit perfectly in one another’s arms.

**Author's Note:**

> A few days later:  
> Ryusui, with unmistakable heart eyes: Let me tell you about the first time the mermaid princess kissed me! -puts hand over his heart- What an affectionate confession it was!  
> Tsukasa: -shuts eyes and shakes head-  
> Mirai, giggling: She did? Are you going to marry her?  
> Ryusui: I wouldn’t mind at all if that’s the direction we’re headed in! What a lovely wife to have!  
> Tsukasa: -choked noise- [Ryusui just grins like an idiot]
> 
> ~  
> I stopped reading the manga weekly for a bit cause uhhh I wanted Tsukasa back… lo and behold I saw a spoiler that made me catch up… I cant say I expected to end up with a ship for him too! Wow lol
> 
> Whoops this fic got a little out of hand… I planned to write something like a third of the length pfft
> 
> Anyway I LOVE these two… of course I do because theyre a damn rarepair with barely any content and a sad empty tag. Evidently I’m doomed to suffer no matter what fandom I dip my toe into
> 
> Feel free to stop by my tumblr and talk to be about them! HCs, thoughts, prompts, I don’t care… anything. Everything. You never know whatll inspire me to actually write something :3


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